Emmy Awards 2018: Start time, live stream, favourites — all you need to know about TV's biggest night

Silver screen's A-listers gather on Monday to honour the best in television at the Emmy Awards, with record-breaking fantasy epic Game of Thrones back in the competition and once again looking to slay its rivals. After a year off, HBO's wildly popular fantasy epic — which earned a whopping 22 nominations — is expected to make a big comeback. It already won seven Emmys in technical categories.

But evergreen NBC sketch show Saturday Night Live is close behind with 21 nominations, and it too scooped up seven awards ahead of the main ceremony. And Hulu's The Handmaid's Tale, last year's best drama winner, is certainly in the hunt for more statuettes, with 20 nominations and three awards so far.

Emmy Awards trophy. Image via Twitter

The Television Academy's 22,000-plus members have already cast their ballots for the 70th Primetime Emmys, the small-screen answer to the Oscars — so it's time for red carpet glamour and heartfelt speeches.

So, who are the favourites for 2018 Emmy Awards?

Winter could come early for HBO's blood-spattered smash hit if it fails to snare the coveted best drama series prize, with last year's winner The Handmaid's Tale hotly tipped to defend its crown. Both shows have already picked up some Emmys hardware: Game of Thrones" won seven statuettes in technical categories at last weekend's Creative Arts Emmys, while The Handmaid's Tale scooped up three. And both are likely to add to that haul at Monday's glittering gala in downtown Los Angeles, but the race for the top prize still seems to be a crapshoot, with dark horse pick The Americans also in the hunt.

With perennial heavy hitter Veep out of contention this year, FX's Atlanta — a quirky look at the rap scene in the Georgia capital — is squaring off with Amazon's The Marvelous Mrs Maisel for top honors.

Beyond the best drama trophy, Game of Thrones cast members Lena Headey, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Peter Dinklage are nominated, along with the show's directors and writers.

Other major contenders include FX's The Assassination of Gianni Versace, which racked up 18 nominations. Darren Criss is the favorite to win the star-studded race for best actor in a limited series or movie for his searing portrayal of Versace's killer Andrew Cunanan.

But he faces stiff competition from a clutch of boldface names including Antonio Banderas, Benedict Cumberbatch, Jeff Daniels and John Legend, the pop crooner who has already made some history of his own.

Who will host the 2018 Emmy Awards?

Saturday Night Live regulars Michael Che and Colin Jost will host the Emmys at the Microsoft Theater, to be broadcast on NBC, and series creator Lorne Michaels will produce the event for the first time in 30 years.

When will the 2018 Emmy Awards air in India?

The Emmy Awards programming begins at 8pm ET/5pm PT on NBC on Monday (17 September). In India, it will begin airing at 5am on Tuesday (18 September) on Star World, Star World HD and Star World Premiere HD.